After a slow start to the five-match Test series against India, Joe Root returned to form with back-to-back centuries at Lord’s and Manchester.
The hundred in Manchester was special as it helped him surpass Ricky Ponting in the list of most runs in Test cricket. Root is now only behind Sachin Tendulkar, and with just over 2500 runs needed to become the leading run scorer in Test cricket, Tendulkar’s record looks in real danger.
Root’s form since the start of the World Test Championship (WTC) is extraordinary. He has scored 20 centuries in the championship – the most by any batter in the world. During the second innings of the final Test at the Oval, Root shattered another massive record in the WTC. He became the first player in the world to score 6000 runs in the WTC. Root’s dominance in the WTC could be understood by the fact that the second best on the list of most runs is Steve Smith, but he is nearly 1800 runs short of Root’s numbers. Smith also has scored the second most number of hundreds – 13, far below Root’s 20.
Most Runs In World Test Championship
| Player | Runs | Innings |
| Joe Root | 5978 | 126 |
| Steve Smith | 4278 | 95 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 4225 | 96 |
| Ben Stokes | 3616 | 103 |
| Travis Head | 3300 | 87 |
Meanwhile, Root also became the first player in the world to face over 10,000 balls in the WTC. Given how big a lead Root has over the other players in the list, and the kind of form he has shown over the years, Root’s record would take some special effort from other players to get even close to it.
Root would hold the key for England as they look to chase 374 in the fifth Test at the Oval. If England win, they’ll take the series 3-1. If India manages to draw, the series will end in a 2-2 draw. The fifth Test is evenly poised, but Root and Harry Brook are quickly taking the game away from India.